Group Of Four Monuments In The Churchyard Of The Church Of St Oswald, South Of South Transept And Chancel

The group of four monuments located in the churchyard of the Church of St. Oswald, south of the south transept and chancel, includes two chest tombs and two pedestal tombs, dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The first chest tomb, situated south of the south transept, commemorates George Fletcher, who died in 1821, and his wife Elizabeth. It is made of limestone and features a moulded plinth with inscription panels on either side, painted black to resemble slatestone. The south side has fluted marginal panels, and the tomb is capped with a stepped and moulded pyramidal top. It rests on a raised plinth that was once enclosed by a cast-iron railing.

The second chest tomb, approximately 3 meters south of the first, is apsidal ended and honors Thomas Church of the Parish of Withington, who died in 1821, his wife Mary, and Thomas Freeman, who died in 1781. This tomb is also made of limestone and has a moulded plinth with sunken inscription panels on the sides. The north side features an inscription for Thomas Church, while the south side has an illegible inscription flanked by foliate scrollwork. The ends of the tomb have fielded inscription panels, with hanging floral decorations at the east end and draped decorations at the west end.

The third monument is a pedestal tomb located about 4 meters south of the second tomb, dedicated to Richard Freeman and dating from the 18th century. It is made of limestone and has a fielded inscription panel on the north side, topped with a stepped moulded capping.

The fourth monument is an unidentified pedestal tomb situated about 4 meters east of the George Fletcher chest tomb, also from the 18th century. It features an illegible inscription panel on the west side with quadrant corners and egg and dart decoration along the margin, along with roundels at each corner. The tomb has projecting pilasters on either side, decorated with small roundels, and a frieze adorned with a hanging bellflower motif. The north side has similar inscription panels without egg and dart moulding, while the east side features a cross-shaped inscription panel. Plain fluted panels are located on either side, and the frieze above has three floral roundels, with a moulded top capping.